1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an apparatus for facilitating the leveling of a bulk material. More particularly, the invention relates to a strike-off accessory device that is designed for use with an on-road vehicle or off-road vehicle, such as a skid-steer loader.
2. Background and Related Art
Unquestionably, a conventional paving process that involves the hand leveling of the paving material is quite laborious and time-consuming. It necessarily involves a great deal of manual effort on the part of the paving crew. As an exemplary project, consider the steps involved in the paving of a long, narrow space between two railroad tracks that are no longer in use. Initially, the asphalt, or other paving material, must be unloaded from the dump truck that is used to transport the asphalt to the jobsite. Typically, the asphalt is unloaded from the dump truck by employing one of three alternative methods. First, if the dump truck is equipped with a small door in its tailgate and it is capable of directly accessing the area being paved, the asphalt can be transferred directly into the space between the railroad tracks by discharging the asphalt through the small door in the tailgate of the dump truck. Secondly, if the area being paved cannot be fed directly from the dump truck, the asphalt can be unloaded on the ground in close proximity to the area being paved, and then subsequently transported to the area being paved by utilizing a suitable piece of off-road machinery, such as a skid-steer loader. As a third option, the asphalt can be unloaded from the dump truck by transferring the asphalt directly into the bucket of the skid-steer loader. The asphalt will then be unloaded from the bucket of the skid-steer loader into the space between the railroad tracks being paved.
Then, after one of the abovedescribed three methods is used to feed the area being paved with asphalt, the paving crew must manually level out the asphalt using shovels (i.e., rough grade the area being paved). After which, the paving crew must finish the leveling of the asphalt with manual hand tools, such as rakes. Finally, after the paving crew has finished grading the asphalt, the paved area must be compacted using a steam roller.
During the conventional paving process described above, the hand leveling of the asphalt material significantly increases both the time and labor cost associated with a particular paving project. While others have developed devices that are capable of leveling off paving material for projects involving large paved surfaces, such as roads and parking lots, these devices have numerous limitations and drawbacks. First, the related art devices are generally too cumbersome and large to be used for narrow width paving projects. Secondly, the devices taught by the related art typically do not offer the adjustability that is necessary to accommodate diverse types of small paving projects. Finally, these related art devices are not generally capable of being readily attached to, and detached from, a vehicle being used to facilitate the paving process.
Therefore, what is needed is a strike-off accessory device, which is particularly adapted for use with a vehicle, that can be readily used for narrow width paving projects. Moreover, a strike-off accessory device is needed that offers a significant range of adjustability for accommodating various types of small paving projects. Furthermore, a need exists for a strike-off accessory device that is capable of being easily attached to, and detached from, a vehicle that is being used to facilitate the paving of a particular area.